Pizza Today - August 2019 - 57

efforts with lines wrapping around the corner.
"We started growing and growing like crazy.
In like five years, we were bursting at the
seams," Rocky says. The Shanowers purchased
land directly behind the ice cream stand
turned pizzeria. They built their current space
in phases beginning with a kitchen and tiny
dining area. In 2013, Park Street experienced
its most sizable expansion with the addition of
a 100-seat dining, waiting and porch areas. A
60-seat patio was added in 2017, with a vision
to enclose the space as a three-quarter season
patio.
Pizza Today toured the pizzeria this
summer, sitting down one-on-one with
the Shanowers. "It's our second home, our
first child," Rocky say as he gave a behindthe-scenes tour of the pizzeria. There
is one overwhelming element: the Park
Street concept is flawlessly executed. Every
component has been planned for, from walkup counter blended with full service, large
waiting area, table paging system to a spotless,
well organized and efficient open kitchen. The
operation is completely dialed in for its high
volume and a customer base of locals, people
from neighboring towns and tourists.
Its interior is a blend of modern, chic
and country with oversized wooden booths,
four-top tables, concrete flooring and eclectic
chandeliers. The pizza line is directly behind
the counter. "I really like for our staff to know
that they are in the forefront of our customers
eyes," Rocky says. "It keeps them accountable
but it also allows our customers to have that
trust for us...It's not behind closed doors."

Courtney and
Rocky Shanower.

STORY
DENISE GREER
PHOTOS
JOSH KEOWN

A

long a winding road
and a two-hour drive
from Columbus, Ohio,
sits Sugarcreek, a quaint
village of 3,500 residents.
It's known as "The Little
Switzerland of Ohio" for its Swiss heritage
and architecture, Amish communities, Swiss
cheese and lush farmland. Its hometown
pizzeria is an embodiment of this tight-knit
community. Park Street Pizza has been a
staple and pride point of Sugarcreek since
2003 when a young couple took over a closing
pizzeria.
Rocky and Courtney Shanower took the
leap into ownership when the proprietor

of a local pizzeria that Rocky had worked
at and grew up in was ready to close. "We
were at this pivotal point where either we
go find other jobs or see if we can make a
go of it ourselves," Rocky says. They spent
Park Street's first six months in its original
downtown Sugarcreek location while
renovating a 1960s ice cream stand near the
high school. It was an on-the-job learning
experience - with some training with the
previous owner Sue - and then they were off.
"We're figuring it out as we go and that was
16 years ago before Google," he says. "Our
sauce, our dough, a lot of our core things
changed a lot over those first five years."
Sugarcreek responded well to Shanowers'

The Shanowers balance each
other's strengths as a solid
leadership team. "Courtney found a
real passion in cooking and developing food,"
Rocky says. "I found a real passion in just the
entrepreneurial side of the business. I love
pizza and I love food but I'm driven more on
the business and people side of things. We've
just kind of complemented each other really
well in that."
At the heart of Park Street's foundation is,
Rocky says, "Caring about our community,
caring about our team members and our
guests, caring about the locality and the
sourcing of our ingredients and the quality
of those and then sustainability of the
organization overall."
It's evident that the Park Street team
A UJGUUNSET 2 0 1 9 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 5 7


http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM

Pizza Today - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - August 2019

Pizza Today - August 2019
Commentary
Contributors
Expo Spotlight
@ Pizza Today
Conversation
Man on the Street
Tony’s Trending Recipe
Knead to Know
Destinations
Supply Alternatives
Baked Goods
Pizza Toppings: Mortadella
Seasonal Pastas
Artificial Intelligence
In-House Delivery vs. Third Party
Pizza & Pasta Northeast Preview
Pizza Today on the Road: Goremade, Columbus, Oh
Pizza Today on the Road: Park Street Pizza
Product Showcase
Pizza Today Yellow Pages
The Marketplace
Reader’s Resource
Mike’s Monthly Tip
Pizza Today - August 2019 - CT1
Pizza Today - August 2019 - CT2
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza Today - August 2019
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Cover2
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Commentary
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 4
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 5
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 6
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 7
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Contributors
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 9
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Expo Spotlight
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 11
Pizza Today - August 2019 - @ Pizza Today
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 13
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Conversation
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 15
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Man on the Street
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 17
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Tony’s Trending Recipe
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 19
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Knead to Know
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 21
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 22
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 23
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Destinations
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 25
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Supply Alternatives
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 27
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 28
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 29
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 30
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 31
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Baked Goods
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 33
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 34
Pizza Today - August 2019 - CT3
Pizza Today - August 2019 - CT4
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 35
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza Toppings: Mortadella
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 37
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Seasonal Pastas
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 39
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Artificial Intelligence
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 41
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 42
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 43
Pizza Today - August 2019 - In-House Delivery vs. Third Party
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 45
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 46
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 47
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza & Pasta Northeast Preview
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 49
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 50
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 51
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza Today on the Road: Goremade, Columbus, Oh
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 53
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 54
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 55
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza Today on the Road: Park Street Pizza
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 57
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 58
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 59
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 60
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 61
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 62
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 63
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Product Showcase
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 65
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Pizza Today Yellow Pages
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 67
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 68
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 69
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 70
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 71
Pizza Today - August 2019 - The Marketplace
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 73
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 74
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 75
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 76
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 77
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 78
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 79
Pizza Today - August 2019 - 80
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Reader’s Resource
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Mike’s Monthly Tip
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Cover3
Pizza Today - August 2019 - Cover4
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